With 200 year-round jobs and over 3,600 employees in the summer, the Festival is a major employer in the region, too. It's also estimated that it indirectly safeguards a further 3,200 year-round jobs by generating additional revenue for various businesses.

The survey of 3,500 visitors also revealed what most of guessed long ago - that the Festival is full of rich, old people. 80% stay in a hotel, typically an upscale one in the centre of Salzburg. The average foreign Festival guest stays a week, taking in around four events. Typical expenditure is around 2,220 euros on accommodation, dining, shopping and other expenses and a further 550 euros on tickets (I have to point out it can be done for significantly less than this, if you're thinking of visiting).

Despite the Festival's purse-draining properties, the proportion of repeat customers is extraordinarily high, with 72.5% classified as regular visitors. Only 8.2% of respondents were there for the first time in 2011.

With 200 year-round jobs and over 3,600 employees in the summer, the Festival is a major employer in the region, too. It's also estimated that it indirectly safeguards a further 3,200 year-round jobs by generating additional revenue for various businesses.

The survey of 3,500 visitors also revealed what most of guessed long ago - that the Festival is full of rich, old people. 80% stay in a hotel, typically an upscale one in the centre of Salzburg. The average foreign Festival guest stays a week, taking in around four events. Typical expenditure is around 2,220 euros on accommodation, dining, shopping and other expenses and a further 550 euros on tickets (I have to point out it can be done for significantly less than this, if you're thinking of visiting).

Despite the Festival's purse-draining properties, the proportion of repeat customers is extraordinarily high, with 72.5% classified as regular visitors. Only 8.2% of respondents were there for the first time in 2011.